There’s nothing like March Madness, yes, but there’s also nothing quite like the madness that ensues for sports media professionals during March, either.
Recently, Fairleigh Dickinson’s director of sports information and athletic media relations, Jordan Sarnoff, went viral on social media for being both a junior at the school and a full-time staff member for athletics.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s entire athletic media relations staff is comprised of graduate assistants, led by Sarnoff. It’s amazing that Sarnoff and others are able to receive this experience, but it begs the question of whether or not these students — and full-time professionals alike — experience burnout.
As Assist. Sports Editor, I write anywhere from three to five stories a week, take 18 credit hours, and participate in other student organizations. I’ve found it difficult to sandwich in a part-time job, let alone a full-time media job in between my commitments. I genuinely don’t know how Sarnoff does it.
I do, however, know that burnout is real for sports professionals and student employees.
The burnout that hits between basketball season and diamond sports is like no other. There’s a three week or so overlap between the two seasons that feels almost like you’re stuck in a time warp. It also doesn’t help that the weather is horrible during that time of year.
Don’t get me wrong: I love being busy and I respect the sports industry grind. However, I also respect the fact that work should not consume your life. The set up of seasons aren’t exactly made that way, though.
It took me a long time to realize that after a certain time of day, I should stop working. Endless work comes with the 24-hour news cycle, but there is some news that can wait. I don’t need to write every story in one week and I don’t have to sandwich my days with a million commitments.
At the beginning of last week, I realized that I was in fact burnt out after basketball season. My Spring Break was spent going to bed at 7:30 p.m. and avoiding sports-related work at all costs.
Part of the reason I don’t make a March Madness bracket is because I’m burnt out and don’t have the energy to follow that many games at once. March Madness is an incredible event; however, it’s not for the weak, and at that point of the season, I am among the weak.
As March Madness wraps up, remember to take care of yourself, sports professionals and sports fans. There’s still diamond sports ahead and hockey on the television. There’s a lot more madness to go around.
Ashley Beach is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Ashley know by emailing her at ab026319@ohio.edu.
